An Addition to the Band
by obsessive360
Summary: Parker loved her brother, but she knew he would never have approved. Of course, there were a great many things that Tony disapproved of in her life: her gifts, her hobbies, her taste in music, and her career to name a few. Why would she ever expect Tony to approve of this?
1. Step by Step

A/N: I don't own _The Avengers_ or _Captain America_. R &R!

Tony Stark had not exactly expected to find someone in his living room at three in the morning. Okay, so it was the team's living room, but he still had not thought anyone would be there that early. Nevertheless, there was a clearly feminine figure lounging on the sofa watching something on the television. Music videos, he determined.

"Assuming you aren't one of the two women which normally live here, what are you doing in my tower?", he asked the figure.

"You told me to stop by the next time I was in New York. Now, hush! This is one of my favorite songs!", and Tony smiled as soon as he heard the voice.

"I kind of meant to stop by during normal daylight hours, Parker.", he retorted with a chuckle as he sat down on her right.

"We weren't exactly sure daylight would be the best time for us to enter the building, Tony.", Parker told him, so Tony paused the music video for New Kids On The Block's "Step by Step."

"Who is 'us'?", he asked.

"Before anything else happens, promise me you won't freak out.", she demanded, and Tony nodded.

"I promise, Parks, I won't freak out. I trust you.", he added.

"J.A.R.V.I.S., please bring up the lights.", Parker called out to the AI, and he did as she commanded.

Tony jumped when he saw a man, dressed from head to toe in black, on Parker's left. He recognized the man instantly, but that was not a good thing. How Parker had managed to get the Winter Soldier into the tower was beyond Tony.

"Okay, what in the hell is going on here? Don't you know who this guy is?", Tony questioned, wishing he had his armor on.

"Tony, you promised not to freak out!", Parker exclaimed, being sure to stand between the two men.

"I wouldn't have if it would have been anyone other than the man responsible for Mom and Dad's accident! I looked into it after Nat unleashed all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secrets, and it is highly likely that H.Y.D.R.A. sent their weapon, the Winter Soldier, to kill Howard and Maria Stark. How can you stand there so calmly, stand beside him, knowing what he's done?", Tony roared, possibly waking everyone in the tower.

"Because I'm smart enough to know that H.Y.D.R.A. wouldn't just let their number one asset have free will when sent to kill a man who was once his friend. I also know that had he been in control of his mind, James would killed me the very day we met because that would've meant I was his mission! He's not a dangerous man unless he's forced to be. You have no idea what they did to him!", Parker was just as loud as Tony, definitely waking the other residence of the tower.

"Then enlighten me and explain why you brought him into my home!", Tony told her in exasperation.

Instead of speaking to Tony, Parker turned to James "Bucky" Buchanan Barnes and spoke to him. She spoke in a soft tone, one which was almost loving. Tony had never heard her use it before.

"Are you all right with me telling him what happened, or do you want to do it yourself?", Bucky opened his mouth to reply when the elevator door opened with a DING and the other Avengers tumbled out.

"Some of us actually sleep at night, Stark!", yelled Natasha Romanoff.

"What in the world is going on here, Stark?", called out Steve Rogers, the super soldier known as Captain America.

"Nothing!", both Tony and Parker called back, confusing Steve.

"I believe I can explain on my own for the most part, doll.", the First Avenger let in a sharp intake of breath at the sound of Bucky's voice, not believing his friend was actually there.

"By all means, go ahead. This better be good!", Tony said dramatically.

"From what memories I have regained after six months without H.Y.D.R.A. being in control, my body was recovered after I fell from the train. H.Y.D.R.A. took me and removed my mangled arm, replacing it with this thing.", Bucky held up his metal arm which was no longer attached to his torso.

"Apparently, his originally unintended dip into the Potomac damaged some of the circuitry. We came here hoping you might be able and willing to help.", Parker added as she held out her hands.

Bucky gently set the arm in her hands, surprising everyone in the room. Neither one paid anyone else any attention as Parker placed the arm in a black case that had been on the floor in front of Bucky.

"I was turned into their personal weapon, the 'new fist of H.Y.D.R.A.' they told me. After every mission they sent me on, I had my memories wiped with some sort of technology H.Y.D.R.A. had, might still have, that can do that. I did as I was told in order to avoid the pain H.Y.D.R.A. would cause me if I failed. By the time I was sent to take out Howard Stark, I couldn't even remember my own name, much a less him. I still have no idea how many assassinations are my fault, how much blood is on my hands, or how I even survived the fall from the train in the first place. I was actually hoping to speak to Doctor Banner about that. I think it may have had something to do with the experiments they did on me in their attempts to recreate Steve.", Bucky finished, chuckling at the looks on the faces of the Avengers and Pepper as he spoke.

Pepper was the first to recover, and she began trying to organize things as usual. She turned to Tony and began to question him. As per usual when Pepper did this, Tony quickly caved in and answered.

"Who is she, Tony?", and Parker looked at the older Stark.

"You haven't even told your girlfriend about me? I thought this was a serious enough relationship, for once, for you to tell the girl about me, Tony!", Parker was not pleased at all.

"Pep, guys, this is Margret Parker Howard Stark, my little sister. Parks was only three when Mom and Dad died, and I was twenty-one. Knowing by then how my personality can be, I put her in boarding school to keep her safe from harm, from me and my selfish tendencies, once she was ten years old. However, if you ever doubt my love for my sister, just know that I spent most of my twenties taking care of her, and I don't regret it in the least. Parker was perfectly capable, at ten, to understand that I tend to be an egotistical man-child; as you can see, we have a complicated relationship. I love my sister, and I'd do anything to help her or take care of her, but I have to be able to live my life, and vice versa.", Tony explained, and Parker nodded along with him.

"Well then, Parker, it's nice to finally meet you. I'm Pepper Potts, but you probably already know that.", Pepper said to the younger woman, and Parker smiled before hugging Pepper.

"Welcome to the family, Pepper! If Tony risked his life to save you, then you're good in my books!", this made pretty much everyone smile, but only Bucky let out a deep chuckle.

"He risked his life to save all of Manhattan, doll.", he added, but Parker just stuck her tongue out at him maturely.

"So, are you going to actually introduce me to your friends properly, Tony? Telling them who I am isn't going to help _me_ know who _they_ are. I mean, I know who they are because of the news, but I'd rather actually be introduced to them anyway.", she said to her brother, and Tony relented.

"Okay, everybody get over here. Bruce, you first!", Tony called to his teammates/friends.

An average height man, who was attractive, Parker had to admit, came over to them wearing a set of plum pajamas.

"Hi, Parker. I'm Dr. Bruce Banner. I'd say your brother has told me about you, but he never brought you up.", the man said kindly, smirking at Tony.

"Hi, Dr. Banner. It's nice to meet you, finally, as Tony _has_ told me a lot about you. Thank you, for being his friend, saving his life, and everything else that you and the Other Guy have done for him.", Parker replied.

"Please, call me Bruce. It was no problem, because I think I needed him more than he needed me. Someone has to make sure the Other Guy and I don't get too dark and twisty.", Bruce said simply, and Tony let out an exasperated sigh.

"Why did you make me sit through a _Grey's Anatomy_ Netflix binge with you and Spangles?", he asked the physicist.

"We agreed to help Steve learn about this century, that's why.", Bruce said before moving to sit at the far end of the long couch.

"Hello, Parker. I'm Clint Barton, also known as Hawkeye. I was actually put on a team that was supposed to keep you safe a few years ago when Tony was dying of Palladium poisoning. For some reason, though, we were never able to locate you.", Clint introduced himself, but Parker just whipped around and glared at Tony.

"You were DYING and you didn't even tell me!", she roared, and Tony took a step back, while Bucky used his good arm to hold Parker back.

"Parks, I tried, just like with Pepper, but it never worked. I called you five times to ask you to come home, but you never answered. I was going to sit Pepper down and tell her over breakfast, but that fell through as well. So much has been going on since then, I sort of forgot to tell you. I promise, I intended to tell you, Parker. I promise.", Tony said gently, and Parker stopped trying to fight her way out of Bucky's powerful one-armed grip on her waist.

"I believe you, Tony. Just don't ever not tell me that you're dying again!", Parker snapped, but they could all tell that it was due to stress, not because she was actually angry with her brother; said brother sat down on the couch beside Bruce, with Pepper on his other side.

Natasha took advantage of the silence that followed Parker's statement to introduce herself. As she spoke, she glance continuously and nervously over at Bucky. He only looked at Parker, as if he was waiting for her to tell him what to do. Or was he? Natasha was having a hard time determining what the glint in Bucky's eyes was.

"Hello, Parker. I'm Natasha Romanoff. Even when I was posing as his, and then Pepper's, assistant, Tony never mentioned you. I guess he must've had a good reason to do so, then.", she said with an uncharacteristic giggle.

"Tony has a habit of keeping me from the public in order to protect me. He's been doing this ever since I was a kid, so I'm kind of used to it. Also, I know who you are. You don't have to be afraid of James, just like I told Tony before. He's been free of H.Y.D.R.A. for six months, and he won't hurt anyone without reason. He's just like you, in a way; he's got red in his ledger, and he'd like to wipe it out if he could.", the young woman's explanation shocked Natasha, as she had not expected Parker to call her on what she was trying to hide.

"Okay, Parker.", was all she could say.

"You're the last one, Captain. I promise that we don't bite. My father would roll over in his grave if I harmed his dear friend.", Parker said to Steve, and the soldier laughed as he walked over and gently shook her hand.

"Buck?", he asked, and Bucky looked at him, giving him an amused grin.

"Yeah, punk?", the former H.Y.D.R.A. asset responded, loosening his hold on Parker, but not removing his arm.

"How are you…you? Why are you here?", Steve asked, still in shock.

"Should I tell him, or would you rather do that?", Bucky asked Parker, and the whispered something to him that none of the Avengers heard. "All right, I'll do the talking again."

"He asked you the question.", Parker said with a giggle, and Tony nearly launched himself off the couch and across the room when Bucky leaned in and pressed his lips to the top of Parker's dark haired head; luckily, Pepper and Bruce held him back.

"After I pulled your unconscious ass from the Potomac, I went searching for who I really was. I went to the museum, saw the stuff about me, and wanted to find out more. In my research, I found out about the deaths of Howard and his wife. I started remembering being there when the accident happened. Then I remembered causing the accident. I felt terrible about that, and I felt even worse when I found out Howard and his wife, Maria, had children. Though, at the time, I also had questions as to why there was a nineteen year age gap between the children.", Bucky said, and Tony was quick to cut in with his own answer.

"Mom had a hard enough time when she was pregnant with me, so she and dad decided to wait or not have another child all together. Eventually, Mom wanted another baby but was too old, by her doctor's standards, to carry another child; so, as it was the late eighties, they used a surrogate and in-vitro. That led to me getting this amazing little genius for a baby sister, and I couldn't possibly be more proud of her.", he said, and Parker hid her face in Bucky's chest as she turned a bright red color at Tony's praises.

"Anyway, I made my way here within a month. I wanted to face my crimes, to face Howard's children. I found Parker and followed her for a while, but she knew I was there. Scared the hell out of me when she turned around and said I could've walked _with_ her if I'd only asked. She asked me to walk her across the street to Starbucks, bought me this caramel mocha thing, and told me that she knew who I was. Apparently, she'd already been to the museum and knew my face pretty well by that time. She, well, tell 'em, doll.", Bucky sounded so much happier than he had in most of Steve's memory.

"I told him I forgave him for causing Mom and Dad's accident. I knew, after _I_ read through the S.H.I.E.L.D. and H.Y.D.R.A. documents Natasha released, what he had been forced to do. I couldn't possibly hold it against him when he only knew he had to complete his mission or suffer at the hands of Pierce and his H.Y.D.R.A. pals.", Parker said as she gave Bucky a sweet smile.

"You're too good, doll. You are better to me than I deserve.", Bucky told her, and Parker rolled her eyes.

"No, I'm not. After everything you've been through, you deserve someone who will be there for you unconditionally. You deserve to have someone who can help you pick up the pieces and put them back in the right order. Now, on with answering Steve's questions.", she replied before letting her head fall back onto Bucky's chest.

"Okay, well, over the past few months, Parker has been helping me regain my lost memories. Her techniques can be odd, but they've worked so far. Like she said, ever since I pulled you out of the river, my arm has been a bit, I don't know, off? It wasn't functioning properly, so Parker tried to take a look at it. There are a few fried circuits in there. We left the metal connector plate on, just hoping Tony might know how to fix the arm. Parker said he was our best bet, so we took a cab ride over here an hour or so ago. We had no choice when the arm locked up when we attempted to get some sleep.", he finished his explanation, and Tony stood up and looked at his sister curiously.

"From now on, I sleep on the left side of the bed to be on the safe side.", Parker said with a laugh, and Bucky nodded in agreement.

"How long were you in the city without telling me?", Tony asked her as he walked towards his sister.

"Um, I don't know, ten months?", she guessed.

"Ten months! How long has he been here with you?", Tony's next question made Parker's cheeks tinge a light pink.

"James has been living with me for about five months.", she said in barely a whisper, but they all heard her.

"Tony, calm down. You're scaring your own sister.", Pepper, following him across the room, told her boyfriend in a scolding tone.

"Fine, I apologize for over reacting, Parks. Now, you said the arm locked up when you- When you were what? You're sharing a bed!", Tony exclaimed as what had been said finally registered in his brain.

"Not everyone who shares a bed with someone else has to be sleeping with that person, Tony! I know how you mind works, unfortunately, so I have to say that! Yes, we share a bed, but nothing other than sleeping ever goes on in that bed.", Parker was quick to defend both Bucky and herself, something Natasha noticed.

"Well, how long has _that_ been going on?", Tony asked calmly.

"All of, maybe, two weeks, Tony. Now, can everybody please go back to bed, or at least sit down and be quiet so I can finish watching this music video?", Parker asked just as calmly, and that was when the others looked at the television for the first time since arriving on the floor.

"You listen to New Kids?", Clint asked as he and Natasha sat down on the couch.

"Yeah, and this is one of my favorite songs. I think Tony actually threatened to have the song banned from the house at one point.", Parker answered, and Tony nodded as he once again sat down on her right.

"Guys, we really need to get back to bed. If aliens were to attack later on today or something, you all would be no match for them. You'd be dead on your feet!", Pepper chided, sounding like a mother scolding her children.

"But Parker and Barnes don't have to go to bed!", Tony whined.

"Tony, just call me Bucky like that punk does.", Bucky said, nodding his head towards Steve.

"They don't exactly have a floor, or even a room yet, do they?", Pepper asked Tony, and the armored Avenger decide to speak again.

"Actually, I did build one for Parker. It's the floor between ours and Steve's. I originally thought my sister would come home at some point.", he said, but Parker seemed to not hear him.

Tony looked over at his sister, prepared to stop the music video again, only to find her asleep with her head on Bucky's chest. The Winter Soldier himself was barely awake as it was. Tony knew Pepper was right, so he ordered J.A.R.V.I.S. to turn off the music video. Parker sat straight up with the music stopped.

"Nice of you to join the land of the living again, Sis.", Tony said, and Parker threw the nearest throw pillow at him, smacking him square in the face.

"You turned off my music!", she responded with a glare.

"You and Bucky need to follow me. I'd think you would want to sleep at some point, and this couch is not the best place to do that.", he said as if he was speaking from experience.

With a slight groan, Parker stood up and stretched. Bucky stood up right beside her, taking her hand in his. Tony chose to ignore this and led them towards the elevator. Once every single resident of the tower was inside the elevator, he pressed each residential floor button from the bottom up except for Thor's floor. At each stop, an Avenger stepped into his or her private floor; and all of the floors were dark. Once Steve stepped off, Tony visibly tensed. Was he really about to leave his baby sister alone with the man responsible for their parents' deaths? If the look Pepper was giving him meant anything, then yes, yes he was.

"Tony, would you stop being such a baby about this!", Parker hissed so quiet that Tony barely heard it.

"I can try. Why don't you guys meet us all downstairs for breakfast in the morning? It's our normal team breakfast day anyway, so I can set two more places. What d'ya say?", he said as a reply, and Parker and Bucky seemed to have a silent conversation about the offer.

"Chocolate chip pancakes and we're in.", Parker said after a few moments of silence had passed.

"Square deal. I'll see you two in the morning, then! Good night!", Tony said as the elevator doors opened on a floor which was actually lit up.

Parker and Bucky stepped off of the elevator, and the doors closed behind them. The first thing Parker noticed was how the apartment Tony had designed for her was streamlined. She could look straight out from the elevator and see the massive window that was behind the television.

Though she tried hard to stay awake and explore her apartment, Parker managed to fall asleep on Bucky's shoulder while still standing. Smiling to himself, Bucky carried her into the bedroom and gently placed her on the left side of the bed. As soon as her body touched the mattress, she rolled over to face right. Bucky slid both of the overnight bags he had been carrying off his right shoulder and put Parker's on the dresser. He put his own bag by the right side of the bed, and then Bucky laid down beside Parker. The twenty-six year old immediately curled into his side without waking, her head on his chest once more. Bucky draped his right arm over her, and he quickly let sleep and the caramel scent Parker gave off claim him.

They would make it, he thought as he slipped into dreamland, step by step.

 **A/N:** I own nothing, especially NKOTB. I only own Parker and the story. As a side note, I must thank my mother for introducing me to NKOTB as a child.


	2. No Control

A/N: I don't own _The Avengers_ or _Captain America_. R &R!

As the morning rays of sunshine fell across the face of Parker Stark, she smiled in her sleep. After a few minutes, her eyes fluttered open to reveal her bright brown eyes to the world. She tilted her head up to see the face of the formerly broken man she helped piece back together. Then, she relaxed a little more and looked up at the ceiling. That was when she realized the ceiling was not that of her loft, meaning they were not at their home.

"We really did wind up at my brother's last night.", she said, not expecting a response to come from the man beside her.

"Yeah, we did. On the bright side, he hasn't killed me yet. C'mon, we need to get up. Your brother invited us to breakfast, and he promised you chocolate chip pancakes if we actually showed up.", Bucky Barnes said as he sat them both up.

"If I get up now, can we just spend one morning lying in bed once we get home? This is nice.", Parker replied, tilting her head up in order to look Bucky in the eyes.

"We can do whatever you want, doll. Your bag is over on the dresser; I brought both our bags up last night when Tony showed us what floor he made for you.", he replied with a grin, and Parker just kissed him.

Bucky kissed back, but it was still a quick kiss. Once they separated, Parker grabbed her light blue overnight bag off the dresser and made her way through the empty walk-in closet Tony had built her and into her bathroom. It was when she began changing into her dark wash skinny jeans, light blue button-up, and grey cardigan that she suddenly stopped. In the midst of pulling on her top, looking in the mirror over the sink, she saw herself blush and let out a giggle. There, clear as day on the right side of her neck, was a hickey.

"James Buchanan Barnes, this is most definitely your fault!", she called over her shoulder, and Bucky soon appeared behind her, not even close to being dressed.

"That it may be, but there is a reason you included make-up in your go-bag, am I right?", he replied, and she sighed as she grabbed said make-up.

"You need help getting dressed, don't you?", she asked him, and he nodded.

"I'm not very good at doing normal, everyday things with only one hand.", he commented, and Parker laughed.

"What would you do without me?", she asked, still laughing.

"I honestly don't think I want to find out.", Bucky said as he watched her pull on her top and button it.

Somehow, the two managed to make it to the commons floor before eight o'clock, Tony's preferred breakfast time, completely dressed and presentable. Only Tony and Pepper were up at that point, as the room was empty aside from them. Pepper looked up when she caught a chair being moved in her peripheral vision.

"Morning, Parker, Bucky. How are you two doing?", she asked perkily.

"I'm fine, thanks. This one, on the other hand is waiting on the pancakes she was promised and won't be satisfied until she has them.", Bucky said, causing Parker to give him a half-hearted, playful glare.

"Once you taste Tony's chocolate chip pancakes, you'll understand.", she told him as he smirked at her.

"Tony actually cooks something that doesn't taste terrible?", Pepper asked, not sure if she should believe Parker's statement.

"When he isn't nervous, or dying apparently, Tony is an excellent cook. Mom and Dad died when he was twenty-one, and he wouldn't let anyone aside from the human Jarvis and his wife Anna see me unannounced. Even Aunt Peggy had to talk to Tony before she could see me, and she was Tony's godmother! Because of that, someone had to care for me, and Jarvis was already an old man at that point. So, Anna taught Tony to cook as best she could, given her age as well. Edwin and Anna Jarvis were better parents to Tony than Mom and Dad; then again, Tony had a nanny until age fourteen. Almost everyone was a better parent to Tony than Mom and Dad were.", Parker tried to explain as she began to ramble on like her brother tended to.

"You had a nanny until you were fourteen?", Clint asked as he and Natasha entered the room almost noiselessly.

"To be fair, I graduated from MIT at seventeen. Well, I was about a week away from turning eighteen. I had a nanny until I escaped to college. Parker, why do you suddenly look so uncomfortable?", Tony responded, his sister's expression perplexing him more than usual.

"Tony, do you remember the letter Mom wrote for me that was taped to the back cover of my baby book?", and then he paled.

"What about it?", he asked.

"She told me, in the letter, why she wasn't around for much of your childhood. Mom and Dad started trying to have another child when you were six years old. After her second miscarriage, the doctors told Mom that it would be best for her to not get pregnant ever again. They never told you about the siblings you lost because of Mom's apparently hostile uterus because they thought it would only make you feel as if you were under more pressure to please Dad.", Parker's voice came barely above a soft voice much like the one she used when she asked Bucky to tell his tale at three in the morning.

"So my parents let their help raise me because they didn't want me to know I was the only child that would ever come from my mother's womb alive? That's certainly a cheery thought.", Tony said bitterly as Steve and Bruce entered the room.

"They did it because they loved you, Tony! Mom knew, with her depression, she would never be able to care for you the way she should have, and I would've expected for you to have understood that everything Dad ever did was for you! He knew you would be able to do everything he couldn't, and you have.", Parker was about to explode at this point, so Bucky took the initiative and pulled her into his lap to keep her from trying to get up and charge across the room to slap her brother.

"Everything he ever did was for me? I've done all he couldn't? Well, yeah, damn right I have. I raised you, I rediscovered the element he couldn't invent on his own, I stopped the production of weapons by the company, and I ended the feud with the Vanko family! Sure, that may have involved killing Ivan Vanko, but Rhodey and I took care of the problem, didn't we? Hell, I haven't even gone back to bed since you got here so I could try to fix your boyfriend's mechanical, H.Y.D.R.A. produced arm! You have no right to show up at my home with the H.Y.D.R.A. assassin that killed our parents and ask me to look at his mechanical arm expecting me to be okay with this!", Tony yelled back at his sister, though he did not expect to hear what next came out of her mouth.

"He's not my boyfriend, Tony, and he isn't a H.Y.D.R.A. assassin. If you had attempted to contact me in the last three months, you would know why I can say for certain James Buchanan Barnes is free and H.Y.D.R.A. has no control.", Parker was deathly quiet with her statement, and that in itself was enough to make Tony recoil.

"Damn, I screwed up. C'mon, sis, we need to talk. I can tell.", he said gently as he held out his hand towards her.

Parker kissed Bucky on the cheek, slid out of his grip, and took her brother's hand. Silently, she followed him into the elevator where she flipped the emergency break. Then, Parker moved to the back of the small room and slid down to sit on the floor. Tony followed her example.

"What's been going on, baby sister?", he asked her.

"J.A.R.V.I.S., would you please keep everyone else in the tower from hearing this conversation? Thank you!", she said before even facing Tony.

"Of course, Ms. Stark.", came the cool British voice.

"Now, as to what's been going on, it's a long story. A couple of weeks after James began staying at my loft, he wanted to start trying to recover some more of his lost memories. We decided to start in Austria, where he fell of the train. Everything was going fine until…until H.Y.D.R.A. found us. They attacked us in broad daylight in the middle of a little boarder town; I have never been as scared in my life as I was then, Tony. James, he had no control at that point, and they took us to an underground base of some sort. They were trying to wipe his memory again, turn him back into the Winter Soldier permanently; but I wouldn't stop crying and screaming for him. That triggered something inside of him, because James was able to break the binds they had him in and take out all of the Snakes around him. He got out of the containment area they put him in and followed the sound of my voice to where they had taken me. Tony, whether you choose to believe it or not, James saved my life. The doctor at the base said something about experimenting on me, but it was in German, so I only understood a small bit of what he said. James got me out of that base alive, and that's what matters. That, on the other hand, is also why we ended up sharing a bed.", Parker let the truth out, and it felt good to her to do so.

Tony did not want to pry, but he tried to get his sister to talk more.

"Parks, what happened next?", her teary brown eyes met his, and he felt the sudden desire to go out and slaughter all of H.Y.D.R.A. where they stood.

"We left Austria at once, though I was unconscious for most of the journey; we ended up in Rome by nightfall. I have no clue how fast he drove once we reached the Italian boarder, but he made sure no one was going to catch us. Obviously, I don't remember most of the night, but James said we both went to bed at ten o'clock. I just remember waking up screaming. I had a night terror. I haven't had those since you told me what Obadiah did. Do you actually want to hear what my night terror was, because it's pretty bad?", she asked him, and Tony nodded while he wrapped his arms around his little sister.

"Tell me about it, and you'll feel better. Trust me, because I've been there.", he told her, and Parker took a deep breath.

"In the dream, one of two things always happens. Sometimes, I get chained to a wall opposite the machine they used to erase James' memories with my hands apart so I can't cover my ears. They make me watch as the H.Y.D.R.A. doctor administers a lethal injection to James to disable their asset permanently and make me listen to the heart monitor as his heart stops beating. When it isn't that one, it's a version of events where I get locked in a cell, James has his memories erased, and the H.Y.D.R.A. operatives tell him that I am his next mission. In that version, he comes into my cell and chokes the life out of my body.", Parker was bawling at this point, and all Tony could do was hold her.

"If you have night terrors in which he murders you in cold blood, how do you sleep beside him?", Tony asked after a few moments in which he helped Parker dry her tears and clean up her smudged make-up.

"Because I know he's not dead and not going to hurt me if I can hear his heart beating. It's kind of like how, until you had your surgery, Pepper knew you were okay as long as she could see the arc reactor glowing. Before you ask, J.A.R.V.I.S. told that to both Bucky and me when we got in this morning. Even as an AI, J.A.R.V.I.S. still seems to like me more than you. Any other questions?", the twenty-six year old asked with a soft smile as she dried the last of her tears.

"Yeah, if he's not your boyfriend, yet you two kiss an awful lot, then what is your relationship status?", Tony asked in all seriousness.

"Well, as of yesterday afternoon, we're engaged. I know you didn't know, but we decided against doing things the way James, Steve, and Dad would've in their day for a reason; I knew that it was highly unlikely that I'd ever get you to approve of James. I mean, like you said, H.Y.D.R.A. did have him cause our parents to die in a car accident. Why would I expect you to give your blessing to someone like that?", Parker explained through her laughter, and Tony just gaped.

"Wow! Well, after what you just said he did to protect you in Europe, I will give the two of you my blessing with no further questions. I do have to ask, is there anything else I should know?", Parker literally just blinked as her brother spoke, not fully absorbing what Tony was telling her.

"Um, yeah, there is one thing; but you have to keep it to yourself. I only told James yesterday right after he proposed. I lied to you, technically, when I told you we were sharing a bed at the loft but we weren't sleeping together. However, we have never actually done- _that_ \- in the loft. The whole time we were in Europe and that one night in Brooklyn, we did, but not since we got home two weeks ago.", Tony decided to cut in in order to discover whether or not his sister had a point.

"Parks, I love you and everything, but why are you telling me this? I really don't want to know about your sex life.", he managed to ask through laughter, and Parker began laughing too.

"If you could stay serious for a moment, maybe you would find out! Tony, what I'm trying to tell you, and you can't tell anyone until James and I say so, is that I'm pregnant!", Parker managed to gain control of her giggles by the time she actually said her final sentence.

"You're what? I'm going to be an uncle? Whoa! I know you said you only told him yesterday, but have you and Bucky thought of any names yet?", Tony asked excitedly.

"No, we really haven't. Most of last night was weighing the pros and cons of staying in the loft. We have two bedrooms, but if we decide to have more kids a few years down the road, we'll need more room. Then, if we do move, where do we live? I mean, James grew up in Brooklyn almost a hundred years ago; I grew up going back and forth between LA and Manhattan in the digital age. This wouldn't be as half as hard for you and Pepper as it is for us, you know.", and Tony nearly choked.

"Who ever said anything about Pepper and I having kids?", he asked, and Parker laughed lightly.

"No one ever said anything about it, but I always assumed you would want to leave the company to someone; and if you said you wanted to leave it to me, I'll have to tell Pepper about the time tried to make Thanksgiving dinner and nearly burned the house down.", she said, and Tony nodded.

"Fair enough. So, are you ready to get back out there? Sooner or later, Pepper will try to find us, and J.A.R.V.I.S. kind of likes her almost as much as he likes you.", he asked, and Parker nodded.

"Time for my chocolate chip pancakes, right?", she asked in reply, and Tony merely chuckled before nodding once more.

Once everyone was around the dining room table eating breakfast, things seemed normal. Everyone was happy and smiling when Steve put down his coffee mug and caught sight of Bucky. He let the image of his friend register in his mind before he spoke up about what he was seeing.

"You had your hair cut since DC, Buck.", he said, and Bucky laughed.

"You didn't notice that until you finished your coffee, did you?", was the reply he got, but that came from Parker.

"I guess I didn't. It looks the way it did before…everything. Do you remember that?", Steve asked, and Bucky laughed outright that time.

"Listen, Stevie, I still have a few gaps in my memory, but I remember most things just fine. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, you don't need to worry. I'm still going to be with you till the end of the line.", Bucky told his friend with a sincere smile that Steve thought he would never see again.

"I guess I've got no control over that!", and it was at that moment that Tony and Bucky shared a look and came to a silent agreement.

That was the way things were meant to be: the younger sibling was not to worry about anything, as they have no control. That was the job of the big brother.

 **A/N:** I own nothing, especially any bands or songs mentioned in this story. I only own Parker and the story.


	3. Classic

A/N: I don't own _The Avengers_ or _Captain America_. R &R!

After breakfast, everyone moved into the living room and lounged on the sofa. Tony was aimlessly flipping through channels when the elevator dinged and Parker let out a squeal. Everyone turned to see Lt. Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes stepping into onto the commons floor.

"Rhodey!", Parker exclaimed, hurrying over to hug her brother's best friend.

"Well, it seems the little lost girl found her way home. How've you been? _Where_ have you been?", Rhodey responded, hugging her back.

"I've been doing amazingly! As to where, in the last four months, I've been to Austria, Italy, France, England, Russia, and Brooklyn. I know the last one doesn't really sound like much, but it was the best of all of my trips.", Parker gushed, smiling over her shoulder at Bucky.

Bucky smiled too, because Brooklyn was the last trip they made before returning to the loft. Both of them felt that was the time when their baby had been conceived. The math simply added up to that trip.

"Who's he?", Bucky suddenly went serious and stiff when he saw Bucky on the sofa, blue eyes locked on Parker with an intense and almost possessive stare.

Parker turned around, noticed the way Bucky was looking at her, and let out a giggle. He was so sweet sometimes, but Parker was sure she was always going to have to remind him that she chose him over anyone else in the world.

"At ease, soldier. Why don't you walk over here so I can introduce you to Tony's best friend? He's almost like a second brother to me, after all.", she said, and Bucky did as she asked.

Rhodey, at only 5'8", actually had to look up when Bucky, 5'11", came to a stop in front of him; Parker, who only stood at 5'3", found this amusing. She was used to being the one who had to crane her neck to look Bucky in the eyes, so it was sort of fun for her to see it happen to someone else.

"Sorry, Rhodey. Parker apparently likes tall guys. I don't understand the appeal of it.", Tony called out as Pepper smacked him lightly on the arm.

"Well, for a woman, Pepper is tall. I think it's just a genetic trait you guys share or something.", Rhodey said, and Tony stuck his tongue out at his friend.

"That aside, Lt. Col. James Rhodes, meet Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes, also known as Bucky. Yes, he is the same Bucky Barnes who supposedly died after falling off of a H.Y.D.R.A. train in Austria, Rhodey.", Parker introduced the two, and Rhodey was in a state shock.

"Tony, isn't he the same guy who…", Rhodey trailed off as his own best friend only nodded at the unfinished question.

"Let me guess, you read the S.H.I.E.L.D. and H.Y.D.R.A. documents that Natasha released? Yes, James was once under the control of H.Y.D.R.A., and he was the Winter Soldier. Yes, he did cause the accident that killed my parents. I know all of this, and I don't hold it against him. If you were half-dead, kidnapped, subjected to a painful procedure to remove your memories, and given a robotic arm, you might kill your friends if told they are your mission, too. This is especially true when you can't remember your own name, let alone who your actual friends are, and if you don't complete the mission, you essentially get tortured as a punishment.", Parker's voice went cold, the same way it had when she spoke to Tony before breakfast; Rhodey took a step back from the petite woman.

"All right, I'm sorry. I was just a bit concerned. Where did you find him?", he said to Parker as he held up his hands in surrender.

"Actually, he found me. Once James had been able to recall enough memories of his past and what he had been forced to do, he wanted to apologize to the children of Howard and Maria Stark. He thought I might be easier to talk to than Tony, so he found me while I was out and about in Manhattan about five months ago. He's why I went on all of my trips to Europe and Brooklyn. I'm not entirely sure what I'd do without him sometimes.", the dark haired young woman answered as she let Bucky wrap his right arm around her waist again, his hand on her abdomen, before allowing her head to fall back onto his chest.

"Rhodey, what's the reason you dropped by today?", Tony asked, walking over with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, considering you're the reason I attend the thing every year, I wanted to make sure you and Pepper hadn't gotten too distracted to remember the party tomorrow night. I'm guessing you did by your expressions.", Rhodey said, and every last member of the household paled.

"That's tomorrow night?", Clint called out.

"You mean the whole costume party thing wasn't a joke?", Bruce asked.

"I'm going to kill you, Stark!", Natasha snapped.

"Really? Do I have to go?", Steve asked, exasperated.

"Yes, you all have to be there, it is tomorrow night, it was not a joke, and no one will be dying because of this.", Pepper reasoned.

"I guess this means we need to go costume shopping.", Tony said, and everyone groaned at him.

"You guys go shopping all you want. Bucky, you want to go down to D.C. with me?", Steve called out, and Bucky grinned as he caught on to his "brother's" idea.

"Sure, what's another IOU?", he joked back.

"Oh, that's not even right! That is so cheating!", Natasha exclaimed through her warranted laughter.

"You still owe the museum a Captain America suit, so why would you go after anything else?", Parker giggled.

"Well, they're both senior citizens who served their country, so why shouldn't these two old veterans be treated kindly and be allowed to borrow their things that they did not donate to the museum themselves?", Tony said in the same tone he uses to justify poking Bruce with a pointy object to make him "let off a little steam."

"If they go to D.C., I'm going too. I've got someone to visit.", Parker reasoned, and Tony quickly caught on.

"Give her my love, if she's having a good day, and give Sharon a hug for me. Make sure, if it's a bad day, she doesn't know what happened to Dad or that those two are alive. You know what to do.", Tony told her quietly, only confusing those close enough to hear him clearly.

"You got it. James can drive, so let's go.", Parker said, but Steve held up a hand.

"How can he drive? I mean, I know he can, but does he have a driver's license? He needs one of those to drive, especially to drive to our nation's capital.", Steve asked.

"Yes, he has one. It took a lot of explaining and paperwork to make it to where he was listed as being alive, such as S.H.I.E.L.D. had to do for you, but we both wanted to make sure he could drive. Oh, just show him!", Parker said, but then she became exasperated when Steve seemed to not believe her.

So, just to appease Steve, Bucky reached into his pocket, withdrew his wallet, and pulled out his driver's license. Steve inspected it, looked at his surrogate big brother, and smiled. Bucky realized what Steve was thinking and laughed along with the blonde man.

"You always used to say that you would only have your license to help your mom and impress girls when we were teenagers! Things have changed, haven't they?", Steve asked through his laughter.

"I guess they have. I changed my mind, by the way; driving in the city isn't so bad now that most people seem to understand how to drive.", Bucky replied as he calmed himself down.

"Well, if you two have had enough reminiscing for the time being, we should probably head out if we want to get back in time for dinner.", Parker's voice brought both men back to the present, and the three left the tower.

An hour and a half into the almost four hour drive, Parker had fallen asleep in the front seat. Bucky smiled at the sight, but he kept on driving. About fifteen minutes had passed before Bucky pulled over. Parker seemed to be having some sort of fit in her sleep, twisting about and saying things that meant nothing but confusion to Steve.

"James! No, no! You can't do this to him! You don't control him! No, James, no! Stop! No! Let go of me, James! Fight them! Stop!", she suddenly stopped moving, and then Steve saw why.

Bucky had walked around to her side of the car and pulled Parker out of her seat and into his arms. Bucky pressed her head to his chest, and then Parker was calm.

"Steve, can you drive the rest of the way? If I let go of her now, she'll only have another nightmare. Hopefully, she's dreaming peacefully now, having a dream in which I don't kill her.", Bucky asked his "little brother."

"Sure, but what do you mean by that?", Steve replied as he got in the driver's seat and Bucky got into the back with Parker.

"You have to swear you won't tell anyone about this. I know it took a lot for her to tell Tony when they went into the elevator, but I know she would want me to explain this to you as you've now seen it happen. So, do you swear not to tell?", Bucky asked.

"I swear I won't tell. She looked so distressed, and there was nothing I could do. Is there any way I can help her if it happens again?", Steve replied.

"No, there isn't; only I seem to be able to. When we were in Austria, H.Y.D.R.A. found me, well, us. They didn't care that it was broad daylight; they didn't care we were in the center of town. They grabbed us and took us to a secret base, the same one where they took my arm off, if I'm right. They tried to brainwash me again, take my memories, but Parker saved me. She kept calling my name, yelling for my help. The whole time they attempted to lead me to the machine and erase who I am again, I heard her painful screams. I didn't know why then, though I do now, but her screams did something to me. I wound up taking down all of the H.Y.D.R.A. agents around me and ran back to where they had chained her up. I made sure we were the only two to leave that base in one, relative to how we entered, piece.", Bucky answered, but Steve knew there had to be more.

"So she has nightmares about it?", he asked innocently.

"No, what Parker has are called night terrors. These are nightmares that seem real and usually have something to do with unresolved issues within your subconscious. Parker doesn't know that I read up on night terrors after her third one since Austria. In one version, I kill her after they brainwash me and tell me that Parker is my new mission. In another version of the night terror, she's forced to see and hear me die. The first time it happened, we were in Rome, and I woke up to find her shaking me. I had never seen anyone, let alone happy and care free Parker Stark, so scared in my life, memories or no memories. I had been on the couch, so I asked her why she was out of bed. Parker said she just had to make sure I was alive because of the night terror she had. I assured her I was just fine, but she was just so afraid. I went with her to the bedroom and made sure she went back to sleep, and I stayed there the entire night to make sure she was okay. It's my fault this happened, so I had to make sure everything was fixed.", Bucky said, and Steve realized something.

"You have them, too, don't you? You have night terrors of your own, but you don't want to tell Parker because you already feel guilty. Please tell me that isn't why you're dating her, too!", he said, and Bucky looked ready to hit him for the last comment.

"Yes, I do have the occasional night terror. It usually involves us making it out of H.Y.D.R.A.'s grasp the first time, but they come back, and Parker leaves. She tells me she can't handle living her life on the run and that she doesn't love me. It's a classic case of abandonment issues coming to light because of all the time I spent being made to kill without a second thought as to my actions. However, I haven't had one since we came back home from Brooklyn. Also, no, I am not dating her because I feel guilty about Austria. I asked Parker out to dinner in London because I realized I'd fallen in love with her.", Steve was taken aback by Bucky's response.

"You're in love with her?", the blonde asked.

"Yeah, Steve, I am. Like I said, when I heard her screaming for me, something inside of me. I didn't care who I had to take out to do it, but I wasn't going to let them hurt her. I mean, aside from you, who could never not try to save my soul or what have you, Parker was the first living creature that saw anything good in me, in my heart, in nearly seventy years. Every time she smiles at me, I smile because her smile is just that infectious. When she hugged me for the first time, I think my heart skipped a beat. Before the metal arm tried to break her spine, Parker would sleep on the right side of the bed, facing me, with the back of her head on the metal and her ear over my heart. As of last night, she practically lies across me in order to keep her ear over my heart. She fits perfectly into either side of my body, and she isn't bothered by my left arm. She smells amazing, too, like caramel with a hint of apple. God, how sappy do I sound right now?", Bucky said, and Steve laughed before a thought struck him.

"Hey, didn't your dinner dates all end the same way back before the war?", he asked Bucky, who smirked.

"Oh, you mean with you being dropped off at home before I left out with my date to go have fun _alone_? That didn't happen this time, you or the other.", Bucky replied, but Steve raised an eyebrow at Bucky through the rear-view mirror.

"My friend, my brother, the ladies' man, is being a gentleman?", he questioned.

"Only where Parker is concerned. It wasn't until our last night in London that we decided how far to take our relationship. I refuse to pressure her into anything, and that night in London was at _her_ urging. Parker is such an innocent and beautiful person, and I wouldn't dream of changing that in any way.", Bucky said carefully, and Steve sighed.

"I'm not sure what happened to Bucky, but the new guy that looks like him is such a softy! Would you do this for any other woman?", he asked, and Bucky shook his head before talking.

"There won't be any other women, Stevie. Parker is my one and only. I honestly hope I go first, because I don't think I could handle losing her or love another woman as much as I love her. I proposed to her last night, when we had dinner back at the loft, and I gave her my mother's ring. Turns out it was still hidden behind that brick in the wall of our old place where I left it before going over to fight.", Steve's jaw dropped as Bucky told him what had occurred the night before.

"You gave her your mother's ring? Whoa! So, are you two thinking of having kids and attempting to have a normal life once you get married?", he asked, and Bucky actually blushed this time.

"About that, Steve, I wanted you to know something. You can't tell anyone, other than maybe Tony, but we are going to have at least one child. Parker only told me yesterday, _after_ I proposed, that she's pregnant. Everything has happened so fast in the last six months, but I'm happy now. I'm going to marry the most beautiful being I have ever seen, I am in love with said beautiful being more than I think is possible, and we're going to be parents. I'm going to be a father! Steve, I'm happy. I'm actually happy!", the dark haired man could only smile as the realization hit him.

"Buck, that is amazing! Do you have a preference of boy or girl? Do you have any particular name that you want to run by Parker?", Steve asked, and Bucky actually nodded affirmatively.

"I don't care, as long as the baby is happy and healthy. I guess I'd be more excited if the baby is a girl, but I won't be upset if the baby is a boy. As for names, I kind of like Chloe. Like I said, I think I might be more excited for a girl.", he answered.

"You always have been. When we were teenagers, you always wanted to have a daughter because you didn't want your child or children to have to fight like our fathers did, or like we wound up doing.", Steve said, adding the last bit as an afterthought.

"That don't mean a thing nowadays. Just look at Romanoff!", Bucky said darkly.

"Well, I'd say you're right, except for the fact that she was kidnapped and turned into a soldier by the Russians when she when she was three. Also, you have to look at women like Peggy. She volunteered to serve.", Steve told him, and Bucky sighed.

"You always have to be the smart one, don't you?", the nearly thirty year old said with a chuckle.

"Nope; when I'm with you, I just am.", Steve replied with a smile.

They fell into a comfortable silence which lasted until Steve pulled up outside the Smithsonian. Bucky knew how Parker was whenever someone woke her up, so he decided to do so as gently as possible. Steve just watched them in the rearview mirror.

"Parker, it's time to wake up.", he whispered softly, and Steve thought Parker was still asleep.

"Again with the whole waking me up when I'm perfectly comfortable where I am thing? What did I tell you about that this morning?", she replied sleepily.

"The same thing you tell me every morning. C'mon, doll, you have to go see your aunt and cousins.", Bucky told her, and she huffed.

"Screw what Tony said. We can go see them after this. I already called Sharon and Beth before we left the tower, and they aren't expecting me until an hour from now. Steve, how fast were you driving?", Parker asked the blonde as she began stretching and blinking her eyes at the sunlight streaming in through the car windows.

"I was going the speed limit. It was Bucky who was speeding!", Steve said, and Bucky glared playfully at him.

"Punk.", he said, eyes narrowed.

"Jerk.", Steve shot back, then all three began laughing.

"Let's just go and see about getting your uniforms back from the museum. Who donated your things anyway?", Parker asked as they got out of the car.

"I had a will, and all of my stuff was left to Peggy. She either turned everything over to S.H.I.E.L.D. when she and Howard started it and they did it, or her granddaughter that she mentioned donated it all.", Steve said.

"Everything I had should of went to my sisters. Their children would have had to be the ones to donate the stuff. Wait, that means I have to have a talk with a certain little raven-haired trouble-maker. Doll, remind me to call Rachel when we get home!", Bucky stated, and Steve looked confused.

"Rachel is his great-niece. We met her when we went to James' childhood home. His family still owns the house, so it was easier to get inside than it would have been otherwise.", Parker clarified for Steve, and he nodded.

After a moment or two of no one speaking, the trio made their way into the museum and made their way over to the front desk. The woman at the desk was physically older than all of them, about forty, and had an irritated look about her.

"Excuse me, Ma'am, but who would we talk to about recovering items that were donated to the institute without the permission of the proper owner?", Parker asked sweetly, and the middle-aged woman peered over the top of her rectangular glasses at the twenty-six year old.

"Miss, I assure you that we triple check to ensure that none of the items in the Smithsonian Institute are stolen. Items which are found to be stolen are either returned to the owner or are displayed with the owner's consent.", she said in a condescending tone that made Parker want to slap her with Bucky's messed up silver arm.

"Ma'am, the items in question weren't stolen at all. When Rachel Barnes, age twenty-nine, donated her great uncle's personal belongings, she did not know he was still alive. As for the Captain, he has a few things that he didn't want donated that wound up here. Now, who do we talk to about this issue?", Parker asked again, her tone getting more forceful with each word she said.

"You would need to speak with our Chief Curator, but he won't see just anyone without an appointment, Miss…", the woman trailed off with a smirk, but Parker was ready with a response.

"Stark. I am Margret Parker Howard Stark. My companions are Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes, my fiancé; and Captain Steven Grant Rogers, a close friend of my father, brother, and fiancé. I think he'll make an exception and see us.", the woman stopped smirking and blinked a few times before picking up the receiver to the phone on her desk.

"Dr. Jones, this is Sarah at the information desk. I have some people who need to speak with you urgently. Sir, one of them is Captain Rogers. Yes, Rogers as in Captain America. I'll send them in.", she said into the phone, and Parker began to smirk.

"Which way should we go?", the soon-to-be-Mrs. Barnes asked.

"Take the elevator around the corner to the second floor. There, go all the way down on your right upon exiting the elevator until you reach the closed off area. Doctor Jones should be outside waiting for you. He's putting overseeing a new exhibit.", the receptionist replied, and Parker smiled at her.

"Thank you, Ma'am. Boys, let's go."

Sarah sat stunned as the two men walked off with the irritating woman. The one she knew was Captain Rogers smiled at the woman who identified herself as Tony Stark's younger sister as they stepped into the elevator, and the one who Parker Stark had claimed was Sergeant Barnes kept his right arm-his _only_ arm, Sarah noticed, wrapped tightly around the young woman's waist. It was almost as if he was afraid of someone trying to take her from him.

An elevator ride later, the trio made their way down to the closed exhibit. A man in his early to mid-fifties stood waiting for them. He smiled warmly at Steve, but he was a tad bit colder towards the other two.

"Hello, Dr. Jones. It is a pleasure to meet the man who is such a big part in making sure this all can happen. I am Parker Stark, and I believe you should know the two men on either side of myself.", Parker said merrily, trying her best to appear likeable.

"Ah, Captain Rogers, it is wonderful to see you here! This can't be Sergeant Barnes! I thought you were KIA?", Dr. Jones ignored Parker.

"That was a belief proven false six months ago when Captain Rogers first made me recall memories that H.Y.D.R.A. had taken from me. I am very much alive, and I would appreciate it if you did not ignore my fiancé.", Bucky said angrily.

"Oh, right. It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Ms. Stark. Are you related to Tony Stark by any chance?", he asked, and Parker wanted to either face-palm or slap the man silly, again with the metal arm.

"If you have read any sort of scientific journal that did a biography about my brother or father, you would know I am Tony's sister. He's been the one to raise me since our parents died when I was three, and I attended every social event with him until I was ten. My full name is Margret Parker Howard Stark. Does that ring any bells?", she responded, trying not to snap.

"Oh, Ms. Stark, I loved your work on psychoanalysis that was featured in Science Monthly's latest issue. I did not realize that you were the same Ms. Stark.", Dr. Jones said as he tried to appease Bucky and Parker.

"Psycho what?", Steve asked, confused for what had to be the billionth time since first defrosting and waking up.

"Psychoanalysis is a form of psychiatric therapy, Steve. I'll explain more to you when we head back to New York.", Parker told the blonde, and he nodded.

"What was it you three needed to see me about?", Dr. Jones asked as Steve nodded to Parker.

"My great-niece, Rachel Barnes, donated my belonging for the Captain America exhibit. Rachel didn't know I was alive when she did it; and as I was never dead, all of those items should still be mine. I'm okay with letting most of the stuff stay here, but there are a few things that I never wanted to go outside my family. I was hoping it might be possible to get those things back.", Bucky explained calmly.

"And while I will be sending you a new suit for the mannequin as soon as Tony and I finish creating one, I have a few things I would like back as well. S.H.I.E.L.D. never told me what was being donated, so I was never able to okay what all I was all right with the museum having, even if it is only on a temporary basis.", Steve added.

"And you, Ms. Stark?", Dr. Jones asked.

"Oh, me? No, I'm just here to support and back up their claims. Once we leave, I have to go and see some relatives of mine who live in the area, but I have no other business here. However, I do believe my brother has offered to make a donation of a large sum to the museum in the near future.", Parker said with a light laugh, and both Steve and Bucky knew she was lying about Tony's plans to make a donation.

"In that case, gentlemen, tell me what you need.", the two came to a silent agreement that Tony better make the donation sizeable.

About forty-five minutes later, the three exited the museum; each of the guys was carrying a large box of his belongings. Parker had the keys, and Steve found himself back in the back seat. Bucky was in the passenger seat, but he got out of the car wordlessly after looking out the window to see Tony beside the car.

"Tony, what are you doing here?", Parker asked as she got out of the car and made her way over to her brother.

"Whatever you do, do not crank that engine. Rogers, get out of that car with the boxes right now. I can replace the car, but I can't replace you three.", Tony said in an uncharacteristically serious voice.

"Tony, what's wrong with the car?", Parker asked, and Tony just motioned for the three of them to follow him.

Steve got out of the car, both of the boxes in his arms, and the three followed Tony for several blocks before stopping at an average silver sedan. Tony motioned for them to get in, but he still said nothing. Bucky noticed something that the other two did not seem to pick up on: Tony was scared.

As soon as Tony say down in the car, he let out a sigh. Steve took the front passenger seat, and the other two slid into the back, Bucky taking the boxes. Then, Tony started talking again.

"Okay, we're safe now. Look, I figured out how H.Y.D.R.A. found you two in Austria and why Bucky's arm locked up last night.", he told them, and they all leaned in.

"How?", Parker asked quickly.

"They put an entire system to monitor his missions in the arm. From what I could tell, H.Y.D.R.A. was able to turn it on at any time and take over the arm entirely. It took me a while to figure it out, and I had to turn to one of my biggest enemies to do so, but I cut off the feed.", Tony said, and neither Bucky nor Steve understood him.

"What type of system was it, and you didn't let him think he could ask me out again, did you? I've been rejecting him since I was twenty-one, and I don't intend on ever going out one even one date with another man. I happen to be very content in my current relationship.", Parker said, confusing the two soldiers even more.

"I have no clue what he thinks, but I know Hammer would have to make it through Bucky in the first place to ask you out again anyway. As for the system, it was a series of mini-camera and microphones woven into the wires of the arm. Only an engineer, like myself, would have found them. H.Y.D.R.A. was able to take control via a program that they put into the arm itself when they, I'm guessing, serviced it after one of his missions circa 1980. That's what I needed Hammer for, too. I wasn't going to try to break the program in my lab and let it invade my software, so I let him do it. Ever since he got out of prison, he's gotten even more distrustful of me; so, I let it slip that H.Y.D.R.A. had sent agents after you. I told him it was because they only just realized that you didn't die in the crash with Mom and Dad because you were home with Aunt Peggy at the time. In short, the metal arm is toasted, a complete waste to reconstruct.", Tony explained, and Parker rolled her eyes.

"So now he thinks you trust him with me. Great! So, you're telling me that H.Y.D.R.A. was watching us? What if they know about…", but Parker trailed off, and Bucky pulled her close.

"I promise you that I will do everything in my power to keep our family safe. What are we doing about my arm?", Bucky replied, his gentle and loving tone changing to a more neutral one when his focus shifted from one Stark to the other.

"Glad you asked, Bucky. Open this box and enjoy!", Tony said with a smirk, and Parker rolled her eyes again; clearly her brother was more childish than she remembered.

Bucky opened the box Tony had handed him to find an arm. It looked like a regular, human arm; but the arm was obviously a mechanical prosthetic. Bucky could see the wires and hook-ups that were at its top end to connect with the plate he already had. Amazed that a man who hated him so much twenty-four hours earlier had done this for him, Bucky gave Tony a bewildered look.

"I don't even know how to thank you for this, Tony. You have no reason to trust me or even like me, but you made a new arm for me. Why, not that I'm complaining about it?", he asked Tony, but the billionaire simply shook his head.

"Look, I hated your guts yesterday; we all know that. Then, a little bird told me about Austria. You saved her life, you kept her safe, and you've made her happy. Sergeant, you are the reason my only blood relative is still alive; you are the reason my baby sister is here right now. For that, my friend, I could never not like you. As for trusting you, see aforementioned statement. That arm is my gift to you for protecting her and being there for her when I couldn't. For that, _I_ will never be able to thank _you_ enough.", and Steve felt extremely awkward as the conversation occurred.

"Then, by your standards, Tony, what should I be getting for Bruce and Pepper as a 'Thank You' gift for each of them?", Parker asked sarcastically with a smile.

"You would have to buy gifts for Rhodey and Natasha, too.", Tony responded, and his sister gently smacked him upside the head.

"Jerk!", she giggled.

"Dweeb!", Tony shot back maturely, and Steve just looked at Bucky before everyone fell into peals of laughter.

"I still have to go see Aunt Peggy, so somebody better get to driving.", Parker stated, but Tony sent her a wary look.

"Tony, she called Beth earlier and talked to her. It's not like Peggy doesn't know I'm alive. I saw her when we had a layover in DC on our way to Brooklyn. Yeah, I know that we didn't tell you. It doesn't matter anymore, so just drive. To be fair, you haven't been to see her in a year, and we had just over twenty-four hours' notice about the party.", Bucky said bluntly, and Tony started the car.

"Hey, Aunt Peggy!", Parker said as she gingerly hugged the elderly woman lying in the bed before her.

"Something's different about you, Parker. Something has changed in the last month, and I can tell. What is it, child?", Peggy Carter asked her honorary niece.

"Well, James and I are getting married.", Parker offered up, only to hear a squeal behind her signaling Sharon's arrival.

"Congratulations, Parks! May I please be a bridesmaid?", the blonde woman begged, and Parker could hardly say no.

"Of course, Sharon. We're family after all!", Parker said as she hugged Peggy's biological niece, Steve dumbstruck at the familiar blonde's appearance.

"Sharon, explain yourself to the Captain. Steve, take all of your problems to Nick Fury after she explains who she is. Parker, dear, there's something else, isn't there?", it never ceased to amaze any of them how Peggy could remember nothing past 1949 one day, but she could be entirely on her game the next.

"Yes, Ma'am.", both Sharon and Parker said, and Sharon took Steve into the hall of the nursing home to talk to him.

"Aunt Peggy, I know you weren't too happy when I first told you I was dating James, but I love him and nothing will change that now. To answer you as candidly as possible, I've been helping James reconnect with who he was. After our third _technical_ date, James and I… Tony, if you don't want to hear this, leave for a moment." Tony left as Parker got to the part he considered to be too much information about his sister. "Okay then, where was I? Oh, right! In that hotel room in London, we had sex. The same goes for our time in Western Germany and in France; to be perfectly honest, we've had a lot of sex. So, naturally, Aunt Peggy, I'm pregnant."

Peggy was silent for a moment or two, clearly letting the information sink in. Parker felt torn as her honorary aunt remained silent. She loved Bucky with all of her heart, and she would have agreed to marry him if he would have proposed the night of their first date in London. But still, Peggy had been the only motherly figure she knew for most of her life, and Parker could not bear to have Peggy disappointed in her.

"Which happened first, the proposal or the pregnancy announcement?", Peggy asked gently.

"The proposal was exactly five minutes before I told him I was pregnant, Aunt Peggy. I only found out for sure yesterday. Please don't be disappointed in me.", Parker said quietly, and Peggy placed her pale, wrinkled hand on Parker's, which sat on the edge of the bed.

"My darling girl, with the total repair I have seen this man go through, based solely on what you, Sharon, and James himself have told me, I am beginning to believe you may be the better mechanic in the family, not your brother. I have been like he was. I thought I'd lost everything when Steve went into the ice, but when I met your uncle and actually agreed to go on a date with him, I realized that it was possible for me to love someone again. With some friendly advice from your father and Edwin Jarvis, I realized it was possible to have a family and friends outside of work. I realized that it was all right to live. You have made _Bucky_ see that, too; you saved him when no one else could. I could never be more proud of you, Margret Parker Howard Stark, than I am now.", Peggy said, stressing Bucky's name when she stopped calling him by his first name.

"And now I know you like me again, Peg.", he said jokingly, and she smiled at him along with Parker.

"Just don't hurt her, Barnes.", Peggy told him with a fond smile, though she sounded exasperated, and Bucky nodded.

It was then that Tony reentered the room, and he looked terrified.

"Tony, what's wrong?", Parker asked.

"Aunt Peggy, Steve is outside making out with Sharon!", Tony cried out, and Peggy just smiled.

"Good, because this is exactly what I was hoping for when I asked Nick Fury to assign her to watch over him. What about you, Anthony? Are you getting married of becoming a father?", was he only reply.

"Pepper and I aren't getting married, yet, but I have sort of become a surrogate father to this kid in Tennessee. When everyone thought I was dead, he was there to help me get back at the people who were trying to kill me. He's an amazing kid, he loves science and engineering, and he's every bit the same as me when I was twelve. I have never met anyone that sarcastic and aggravating before or since, but I love the kid. His sister is a good kid, too, and she kind of reminds me of another rambunctious nine year old I once knew.", Tony responded, and this was news to Parker.

"What is his name, dear?", Peggy asked, and Tony sighed.

"You won't believe me, Aunt Peggy, but his name is Harley. I didn't decide to name him after a motorcycle, he was already named Harley when I met him. I promise that's the truth!", Tony said with a laugh, and Parker laughed too.

"We believe you, Tony, but I want to meet this kid.", Parker said with a bright smile, one that Peggy shared.

One thing was clear at this point, the two Starks and Peggy Carter were extremely proud of each other and being able to call one another family. Bucky was just glad that all of three of them wanted him to become a part of their family, as family was extremely important to him. He could not wait until he and Parker could share their extended family with their baby. It was just the way he had always, secretly, wanted to live his live. While several people might beg to differ, Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes wanted nothing more than the American Dream. He was always a sucker for a classic.

 **A/N:** I own nothing, especially any bands or songs mentioned in this story. I only own Parker and the story.


	4. Shut Up and Dance

A/N: I don't own _The Avengers_ or _Captain America_. R &R!

The four spent another hour with Peggy before a woman around sixty entered the room, a younger woman in her early thirties trailing behind her. Parker saw the two women, and the twenty-six year old let out a squeal to rival the one Sharon had let out upon her own arrival. Tony smiled at the women, and he was the first to hug the older woman as she stepped closer to Peggy.

"Hey, Beth! I know I invited you to the party tomorrow, but you don't have to make the trip up to New York if you don't want to.", he said to the woman, but she shook her head at him as they ended their brief hug.

"I bought my costume two weeks ago, Tony, and Rosie has hers as well. We are going to be there.", Beth replied before looking over at Parker, Bucky, and Steve.

"Parker, I didn't realize that the Sergeant and the Captain would be joining you today!", she chirped, but it sounded false.

"James and I go nearly everywhere together, Beth. Steve's just going back to his tag-along days, unless Sharon has something to tell us.", Parker responded, her eyes darting over to the blonde woman.

"I have nothing to say at the moment. Maybe I will after the party tomorrow night. Now, what was Aunt Peggy talking about when she sent us outside?", Sharon replied, and Tony paled again.

"I'll tell you when the time is right, Sharon, I promise. Steve, I'm sure he said no telling anyone, so remember that. Tony, I know where you sleep and your girlfriend really likes me; don't tell anyone until I say so.", Parker said with a laugh, and the two men in question just nodded.

"My lips are sealed.", Steve said with a smile, and Sharon pouted.

"Square deal, Parker. I wouldn't have said anything anyway. Like I said, I trust you. I trust you to make your own decisions and know what is best for you. You're not a baby anymore, Parker. You are a grown woman completely capable of, I apologize now, Aunt Peggy, kicking my ass.", Tony replied, and his sister smiled at him, victory clear in her eyes now that Tony had admitted that she was capable of taking him out.

"Well, now that we all know that, Parker, there is something I would like to give to you. Steve, please take Bucky into the hall for a moment. Beth, darling, please take the white garment bag from the wardrobe and pass it to Parker. Oh, Rosalie, dear, come here and give your grandmother a hug. Age has no bearing on hugging your family.", only Peggy could order around the people who were to take care of her, and they scrambled to follow her orders.

Beth handed the white bag over to Parker, but the twenty-six year old was perplexed. Peggy released her granddaughter from her arms and turned her head towards Parker.

"Open it.", was all Peggy said, so Parker pulled down the zipped on the bag to reveal a garment made of white satin.

"Aunt Peggy, is this…", she trailed off.

"Is that my wedding dress? Yes, it is indeed my dress. I want you to wear it, as I feel you may be the first person since me who may be able to appreciate how easy it is to move in. You may be able to find some shoes in the trunk of clothes and shoes I gave you last month. Now, Elizabeth Anne, what is that look for?", Peggy said easily, her eyes narrowing as she saw the look on her daughter's face.

"Mother, why did I not get your dress?", Beth asked, glaring at the garment in question in Parker's hands as the latter zipped the bag back up.

"Beth, you had a perfect wedding with no gunmen, H.Y.D.R.A. agents, or dangerous projectiles to run from. Your dress was perfect for your wedding, and my dress wasn't. I would like for Parker to wear the dress, and that is something you will just have to live with. Besides, you got my sapphire hair comb.", Peggy said almost dismissively at her daughter's issue with the dress as Steve and Bucky reentered the room at Sharon's urging.

"Mom, is this really worth arguing over? You and Dad have been married for almost thirty-five years! I think it's past time for you to be upset about this, Mom!", the woman who had entered with Beth, her daughter Rosalie, snapped.

"Beth, she's right, and you know it. This is a pointless argument, and I think we should stop now.", Tony said, and Beth fell silent, though it was obvious she was seething on the inside.

"Well, with that, I think we should all go and let Aunt Peggy get some rest. C'mon, James, we need to get going if we want to make our dinner reservations.", Parker said after a moment or two of nothing.

"Right, I guess we'll see you sometime later, Peggy.", Bucky said as Parker hugged Peggy goodbye.

"Yes, you definitely will. I want wedding pictures, you two, and don't forget them. I love you, Parker, and I wish both of you the best with…everything. Tony, assuming you need to get back to your beloved Pepper, I love you as well; and I would like to meet Harley if there is ever a chance. Steve, my darling, it is time to move on with your life. Take care of her, and you shall not need to feel guilty. I fear I know you all too well at this point. Sharon, keep watching Steve. He's impulsive and will always sacrifice himself for others.", Peggy said, but Sharon tilted her head to the side as her aunt spoke to her.

"Aunt Peggy, you can't possibly mean for me to-", but Peggy cut her off.

"Sharon, go with them to New York. I want you to live your life, not tend to the final days of mine! You are my niece, and while you have been a major help to Beth, and to Rosalie, in the months since S.H.I.E.L.D. fell, it isn't your place. Rosalie, my darling granddaughter, if you ever manage to meet a nice man, go. I don't want to hold you back from happiness. Am I clear?", Peggy asked, and everyone nodded regardless as to who she was speaking to.

Sharon made her way over to Peggy, slipped her arms around the elderly woman in a gentle hug, and kissed her cheek. Peggy smiled at her niece, the girl who reminded her so much of her brother. Sharon held back tears as she bid her aunt farewell.

"I'll miss you, Aunt Peggy, but I won't let you down. He's safe with me.", she whispered, and Peggy nodded.

"If he is safe with anyone, it is you.", she said, and Sharon smiled.

" _He_ is still here, though I do agree, sadly.", Steve piped up as he shook his head and chuckled, and everyone laughed right along with him.

"Bye, Aunt Peggy; I'll see you soon, I promise.", Tony said as the laughter died down, and the five New York-bound left the nursing home with smiles on their faces.

It was almost seven o'clock when Bucky pulled up to Avengers Tower, and three of them exited the vehicle. Tony gave his sister an odd look, but Parker just shook her head. He nodded back to her before following Steve and Sharon into the building, but he watched Bucky drive away until the car was out of sight. Tony let out a sigh before he got into the elevator, the whole time planning on how to redesign his sister and Bucky's floor to accommodate the now-growing family.

In the car, Parker giggled as her phone went off. Bucky read the text she was showing him while they were stopped at a red light, and he laughed too. Parker's best friend, Darcy, was listing reasons why her now ex-boyfriend was not her type.

"If she doesn't kiss him when I get everyone in the same room, I'll be surprised. Darcy's almost as impulsive as Steve, but not in a good way.", Parker managed to say through her giggles.

"If he doesn't kiss her back, I'll be surprised! Of all the things he didn't need to take for information purposes, he took something that held no scientific information whatsoever! That is childish flirting if I've ever encountered it. You still haven't told Tony about that particular file, have you?", Bucky replied, and Parker looked at him with a fond smile on her face.

"I've already had to give up our secrets, so give me some time to air out the rest. I still haven't told my brother we want to be married within the next two months either. He's only going to panic if I tell him that on top of everything else.", she said calmly.

"If you think that is best, then I'll trust you. So, do you really want to go to dinner tonight, or do you want me to cancel the reservation? We can just stay in tonight if you wanted to.", he told her softly.

"No, we'll go out; tomorrow morning, however, we're staying in our bed for as long as possible. I refuse to be told I have to be awake before I want to be.", Parker replied, and Bucky chuckled.

"Like I said this morning, we'll do whatever you want, doll.", he said as he pulled into the garage for their loft.

It was later that night, about ten o'clock, and Bucky and Parker were walking back to the loft when Bucky saw two guys drag an obviously drunk and screaming woman into an alley. The soldier wasted no time in rushing to the woman's aid, and Parker let him. She knew he felt that he needed to do this because it was the right thing to do.

"Hey, why don't you try asking a woman on a proper date instead of trying to pin her down in a dark alley?", Bucky's voice was gruff and almost Winter Soldier sounding.

The men did not try to come up with the words worthy of a comeback; they just tried to attack Bucky. The trained assassin made easy work of the men, leaving them both unconscious, but alive, on the ground.

The woman, tall and blonde, had sobered up almost as soon as Bucky had gotten the men away from her; she slowly made her way over to Bucky.

"Thank you, sir. You save me!", she said, and Parker recognized the voice.

"Kristen?", she said, and the woman looked up and made eye contact with her.

"Parker! What are you doing here?", the blonde asked in surprise.

"I could ask you the same thing! Look, we need to call this in, and though nothing happened, you shouldn't be alone tonight. We have a guest room you can sleep in, if you want to stay with us.", Parker offered to her friend, and Kristen looked back at Bucky.

"Who is he exactly?", she asked, now uneasy.

"Kristen, this is my fiancé, Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes, though most call him Bucky. James, this is my _other_ best friend from Culver, Kristen Hughes.", Parker introduced the two, and Kristen's jaw dropped.

"You're getting married? Wait a minute, Bucky Barnes? No offense, as you just saved my life and everything, but I thought you died in World War II.", she responded.

"Yeah, more than one person has asked me that lately. Don't worry about it. I am Bucky Barnes, no doubt about that anymore, but I have another name. When I fell from the train, I was taken by H.Y.D.R.A. or one of their allies, and my left arm was amputated. It was practically torn apart anyway, but then they fitted me with a metal prosthetic. I was told I would become H.Y.D.R.A.'s new weapon, and they erased all of my memories; I was given a codename and my missions. For nearly seventy years, all I knew was that I was called either 'The Asset' or 'The Winter Soldier' and was placed in a cryogenic state whenever I wasn't being sent to kill someone. When I encountered Captain Steve Rogers six months ago, I started to regain my memories. I found out about some of my crimes and went to confront those affected. I only ever had to talk to Parker before I could see that it may have been me who pulled the trigger or threw the knife, but I wasn't the one controlling my mind. She forgave me without ever needing to discuss what I did to her. Parker is the only thing that keeps me grounded, and I don't want to know life without her. So, yeah, we're getting married.", Bucky sounded so incredibly sincere and happy in his statement from the moment he first said Parker's name that Kristen knew he had to be telling the truth.

"So, how about we call the cops now? I still have to go through all of the clothes Aunt Peggy gave me to pick out a costume for tomorrow.", Parker said, and Bucky took out his phone.

"Why does his arm look normal if H.Y.D.R.A. gave him a _metal_ prosthetic?", the question Kristen asked was a good question, as far as Parker was concerned, and she sent her friend a smile before telling her.

"Tony found out that they were tracking James, and could control the metal arm if he didn't complete his mission, so he refused to give it back. Tony made him a prosthetic that is bionic but looks like a normal arm. James only got it today, but he's adjusting to it surprisingly well.", Parker told her friend, and Kristen just nodded, figuring that it was better to just accept it and move one rather than stress herself by wondering about every little detail.

"So, are you two going to the party tomorrow night?" Kristen asked, and Parker nodded.

"We went down to D.C. today to get some things from the museum for James because he's going to be wearing his dress uniform. I have some dresses that Aunt Peggy gave me, so I'm just going to pick one of them.", she said, and Kristen smiled.

"That is so cute!", she squealed as Bucky made his way back over to the two women, looking at his phone.

"Okay, so the police are on the way. So, what's 'so cute'?", he asked.

"Our costumes for the party are what Kristen thinks is cute. Who texted you? Only-never mind. What does he want?", Parker replied.

"He was just checking to make sure that he's going to be here the day after the party. Well, he said day after tomorrow, but you get the general idea.", Bucky answered with a shrug.

"I do. So, how long until-Ugh! Never mind again! This is just like when people wake me up when I'm perfectly comfortable!", Parker said as the sirens sounded.

"You hear that a lot, I bet.", Kristen said to Bucky offhandedly, and he shrugged.

"I usually let her be the first one up, so it's normally not my fault. Most days, it's a phone call from Darcy or Erik.", he replied, and Kristen let out a laugh and Parker went to meet the officers at the end of the alley.

"Darcy's always been like that! Whenever she had a problem in college, one of us would wake to her sitting on the end of the bed, hugging the nearest pillow or stuffed animal; and that was only on her patient days! Most of the time, Darcy would wake one of us up to get advice. So, what's this week's problem?", she said to Bucky, and the soldier shook his head.

"She's in love with a guy she thought was dead, only to find out he's still alive; his death was what drew the Avengers together to defeat Loki from what I've been told. In order to not create a fight between S.H.I.E.L.D. and six of the most powerful and skilled people on the planet, this man's being alive was classified. When Natasha Romanoff leaked everything on to the internet, before I met Parker, Darcy had been staying with her. They found the document, and both were apparently angry. This man, he was the agent that was assigned to be Tony's handler when he first became Iron Man, so he was pretty close to Parker. With never really knowing Howard and being raised by Tony, Phil was sort of like a father to her; his death hit her hard. Darcy, on the other hand, has tried to move on. Instead of killing Phil and Nick Fury, who it was discovered is also alive and kicking, Darcy dated other people. After Phil died, she dated Ian, whom she met in England. Well, while he did save her from a falling/flying car during an alien attack, he wasn't old enough. Darcy apparently likes guys older than herself. Then she went out with a guy who she thought was too tall. Another guy was almost perfect for her, but he had brown eyes. She still loves Phil, and he's always had a thing for her. We're going to handle the situation soon, so this will all cease to be a problem within the next week. I don't recall dealing with so much drama when I was a kid.", Kristen could not help but continue to laugh at how exasperated Bucky sounded.

"I don't think anyone could cause that much drama aside from Darcy. Oh, the officers are walking towards us with Parker.", she replied.

Sure enough, Parker was back, and she was flanked by police officers. Kristen sobered up and stopped laughing as the night's prior events came back to her. When the cops questioned her as to what happened, she was honest with them. Kristen explained that she had been sampling cocktails at a bar where she organized a Halloween party every year, and she had been attacked by the two unconscious men lying on the ground. They had gotten that way after Kristen's best friend's fiancée had shown up and the men attacked him.

"So you just happen to know a woman who claims her boyfriend is the only Howling Commando to die in the War?", the unbelieving officer before her asked.

"Parker isn't just some woman who would make up a story like that, and I don't just happen to know her. She is one of my two best friends, and the party I have been working on is her brother's party. Do you know who her brother is?", Kristen was nearing livid at this point, but the officer had barely changed his stance on the matter.

"Who is he? A Rockefeller?", he asked sarcastically.

"Try Stark. That woman, my best friend, is Margaret Parker Howard Stark, Tony Stark's younger sister. Considering that Captain Rogers is living with Tony, Sergeant Barnes is the Captain's best friend, and that Parker just went to see her brother last night, it is highly reasonable that they are who they say they are.", now the officer had paled significantly.

"Fellas, please let Sergeant Barnes and Ms. Stark go. It seems that we just need to take these two in. Ms. Hughes, if you decide to press charges, please come down to the station soon.", and then the officers hurried to get everything taken care of so that they could get away from the heiress, soldier, and angry blonde.

Kristen, as Parker had ordered, went to sleep that night in Parker and Bucky's guest bedroom. When she first woke up, it was to the sound of…Darcy yelling? Deciding to investigate, Kristen got out of bed, smoothed out the wrinkles in the pajamas Parker had lent her, and made her way towards the living room on the first floor.

"Don't try denying it, Parker! You practically live off of coffee, so don't expect me to buy that you've suddenly decided to quit drinking it. You must be pregnant, and if you question my knowledge, remember that I have two younger brothers!", Kristen heard the third member of their best friends' group exclaim, and she gasped.

"You and Bucky are having a baby? Congratulations!", she said as she made her presence known.

"Aunt Peggy wasn't as thrilled, but we're both very happy with this.", Parker said to both of her friends as they came together for a group hug.

"I'm pretty sure I'll drink enough alcohol for the both of us, so don't worry about not being able to drink tonight!", Darcy giggled, and the other two girls giggled along with her.

That night, on the party deck of Stark Tower, Parker found herself sitting alone for the first time of the entire night. Bucky, seeing how lonely Kristen looked as guy after guy passed right by her, asked Parker if it would be alright for him to share a dance with Kristen. Parker had agreed, and now the two were dancing away. Darcy was at the bar fulfilling her promise to drink enough for both Parker and herself, it seemed. As much as men had been seemingly ignoring Kristen, they were constantly trying to talk to Parker.

"Could I buy a lonely lady a drink?", another man asked her, and Parker sighed before responding.

"Sure, if you can find one. Either way, I'm not drinking tonight, and you should probably get lost before my fiancée gets back.", she said dryly.

"Are we having a problem here?", two new voices asked at once, and Parker was relieved to see both Bucky and Tony standing on her left.

"Not at all. He was just leaving. Where's Kris?", Parker replied, looking around for her best friend.

"Rhodey stole her away for a dance or two. May I have this dance, doll? I snuck a peek at the set list, and it appears they're playing your favorite song next.", Bucky asked her, and Parker accepted his invitation.

"Hey, I should go and grab Pepper; she loves this song, too!", Tony said, and he was gone in search of his girlfriend.

Soon, both Starks were on their way to the dance floor with their significant others; they had left the man bothering Parker standing in the same spot, oddly confused.

The music began, and Parker caught a glimpse of Steve and Sharon, dressed as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, on the dance floor as well. Tony had found Pepper, the two of them dressed as Jack Skellington and Sally, and they were making their way onto the floor. Kristen and Rhodey, who had not planned to both wear _Top Gun_ costumes, were there as well. Clint and Natasha, who were dressed as Batman and Catwoman, were the surprise couple on the dance floor in Parker's eyes. Or at least they were until Parker caught sight of Bruce, dressed as a zombie that Pepper and Natasha had done amazing makeup on, with Sharon's second cousin and Peggy's granddaughter, Rosalie, who had dressed as a Renaissance-era princess. When had they even met?

Thoughts of the others on the dance floor soon left Parker's mind as the music started. "Shut Up and Dance" blasted through the area, and Parker giggled as Bucky twirled her around on the dance floor.

"She took my arm

I don't know how it happened

We took the floor and she said

Oh don't you dare look back

Just keep your eyes on me

I said you're holding back

She said 'Shut up and dance with me!'"

This woman is my destiny

She said, Oh oo

Shut up and dance with me!

Aw, c'mon, girl!

Deep in her eyes I think I see the future

I realize this is my last chance

She took my arm

I don't know how it happened

We took the floor and she said…

Parker was giggling even harder as Bucky spun and dipped her before bringing her back up in order for her lips to meet his. Most of the guys around the room appeared jealous of the man in uniform being the one to kiss the pretty 1940s gal that they had all tried to get to dance with them at least once. Most of the women at the party were jealous of how obviously in love with the 1940s woman the man in uniform was. It wasn't like they hadn't noticed that he had only left her side once the entire evening, and even so, it was only after making sure she was okay with him asking the _Top Gun_ girl to dance. Who were they?

As the clock struck midnight, everyone watched as Tony took to the microphone at the DJ booth.

"Okay, everyone, I hope you've all had a great time at this year's Halloween party! I would like to thank a few people for making this possible. Kristen Hughes, Little Miss _Top Gun_ , thank you for putting this whole thing together like you do every year. Pepper, my dearest Pepper, thank you so much for putting up with all of my complaining about telling the team about the party. My fellow Avengers, thank you for actually showing up instead of maiming me for even mentioning a costume party to you. My best friend outside of my family, Rhodey, thank you for reminding me about the party in general. Parker, my little sister, thank you for being here to control your two crazy best friends; sorry, Kristen, Darcy. Seriously, thanks to all of you for being here. Now that you've all had fun tonight, don't forget your checkbooks for the charity Christmas ball in two months! That's all, so you may resume partying. Happy Halloween!", Tony said, and everyone around the room started to realize that the 1940s gal was Parker Stark.

While everyone else had to pick his or her jaw up from the floor, Parker was making her way over to her brother as he left the stage. Darcy, it appeared, was sitting on one of the nearby couches and was completely drunk. With one look between the two of them, Bucky went to keep watch over their drunk friend while Parker went to talk to her surprisingly sober brother.

"Tony, I have a favor to ask of you!", she called out, and he spun around to respond, but he stopped upon realizing it was merely Parker.

"What do you need, Parks?", he asked without question.

"Can Darcy stay here tonight? She's in no condition to travel anywhere at this point. I mean, I have James standing guard over her so that none of the guys who I ended up being confronted with earlier don't go after her!", Tony's jaw clenched when he heard men other than Bucky had been attempting to flirt with/romance his sister, but he nodded none the less.

"Meet me in the elevator. Thor asked for a guest room for her on his floor. He told me that, if he was going to ever have Jane over, Darcy would naturally come along as well. It only helped his case that he told me he knew you because of what happened in New Mexico. Thor looked out for you two and kept you safe, so I sort of couldn't tell him he couldn't have anything he asked for. Do you realize how much of a pushover you make me sometimes, sis?", Tony replied, though his tone was joking towards the end of his statement.

"Thanks, Tony, and I do nothing to make you a pushover whatsoever. But seriously, thanks. You know how she's been since Phil…you know. I know you said it was better not to tell her the truth, but even so, I think she already knows how much you care about her. You're an excellent big brother, Tony. Trust me.", Parker's voice was soft and barely audible, but Tony heard her; her words always had the effect of putting him at ease, and he hated it when she used that against him.

"No, Parker. We agreed with her therapist that she would never know and you would never unlock those memories. Leave my decision alone. Now, do as I said and bring Darcy and Bucky to the elevator. It seems Rhodey's taking care of Kristen for you. Never saw that one coming, to be honest.", and just like that, Tony had gone from scolding his sister to casually remarking about their non-relative best friends were still dancing together.

"Fine. As you wish, big brother.", and then Parker walked off.

Twenty minutes later, while Parker was helping Darcy change out of her costume and into a pair of pajamas, Bucky was talking to Tony in the living room on Thor's floor.

"She's right, you know, about Darcy. She can't remember what happened that night; and while it's probably better for me that she doesn't, she should at least have a choice. Parker just wants Darcy to at least have the opportunity to know the truth.", Tony looked perplexed as he heard the soldier speak.

"You know about Parker's…gifts?", he asked.

"How do you think I remembered everything so quickly? She told me what she was capable of before she ever did anything to me, so it was my choice. I've told you before, I love Parker because of who she is and not what her last name is. She has seen everything I've done, but she doesn't hate me; she accepts my faults, my demons, and my issues despite the fact that I almost got her killed.", Bucky said, and Tony nodded.

"I also recall telling you that even if they grabbed both of you and were going to kill her because she was collateral damage, you still saved her life. I know you only found out two days ago, but have you two thought about setting up an appointment with Professor Xavier? He may have some insight as to what my little niece or nephew may be capable of in the future. He was there for me, and he was there for them, so you should definitely go and see him.", Tony said before walking away, and Bucky sighed.

Darcy was never going to find out the truth, was she?

 **A/N:** I own nothing, especially any bands or songs mentioned in this story. I only own Parker and the story.


End file.
